Sinful
by sykron
Summary: It's not unusual for an angel to encounter a demon. Neither is resenting and fighting them. Eventually befriending one, though, is unheard of. Then again, Arthur and Alfred are a special case. One of them just doesn't know it. Angel!Arthur and Demon!Alfred
1. Prologue

Title: Sinful

Characters/Pairings: Alfred, Arthur

Rating: M for some scenes involving slight dub-con and language

Warning: People who are sensitive with anything that involves religious situations are being warned now.

A/N: I finished this up a couple of days ago but it took me a while to decide if I wanted to publish this here, what with this site suddenly becoming bullies and everything. I'll post this fic on my LJ in a few days just in case this gets taken down. And I don't mean to offend anyone with this fic. This is purely just for entertainment purposes.

Summary: After losing consciousness from an attack, Arthur wakes up bandaged in an unknown room. His confusion skyrockets when he finds out who saved him. Angel!Arthur and Demon!Alfred

* * *

The room was small, barely being able to fit a bed, a table, and a worn out fireplace that looked more like a group of rotting bricks huddling together than a fireplace. The walls were an uneven shade of grade with dark stains and cracks creating blotches all over the room and the decayed wood that made up the roof seemed as if it would collapse any second. There was a pungent smell throughout the room, probably from the mold growing in the corners.

Arthur had no memory of how he had gotten there.

He let out a puff of breath, watching how the dust particles danced away from him. The last thing he remembered was fighting a pack of demons that had ambushed him in the forest. They had gotten him onto the ground, growling about how they would rip his wings and halo right after they've had their fun with him, before they clawed at his torso. He had screamed and stabbed the demon on top of him, but he was outnumbered. He had lost consciousness once they bashed his head into the ground for the tenth time.

He brought a hand up to touch his exposed chest and was surprised to find bandages wrapped tightly around his torso and shoulders, a few smudges of blood seeping through the white gauze. Thousands of questions ran through Arthur's mind. Where was he? Who had done this? Why was he alive? How did they save him? Who had saved him?

What had saved him?

"Finally awake, darling?" A voice sneered next to him. Arthur jolted to the other side of the bed as fast as he could and bit his tongue to keep a groan of pain from escaping. The voice laughed in pure, dark amusement. "Careful now dear or those wounds will open. Unless you _want _that?" Arthur could practically hear the grin in those words and he bit back another whimper of pain that came from his chest. He was _not _going to show weakness to this, this _demon_.

Arthur turned his head to glare at the demon with all he had. The savage had ebony colored hair, like his wings and horns, and electric blue eyes, protected by a pair of frames, that gleamed with malicious intent. The thing wore a black military uniform and jacket that clearly showed his rank in hell's army. Arthur's eyes narrowed. This wasn't an ordinary demon.

He was a captain.

The demon's grin widened and he took a step forward, clearly enjoying the way the angel tried to move away. "You could _at least_ thank me. Thought angels were all into that _we must show our gratitude and shit." _The demon moved forward again and was delighted to see Arthur had hit a wall and couldn't move. He sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned forward just enough to invade the angel's personal space. His eyes travelled downward to Arthur's exposed neck and he licked his lips. "Unless you want to thank me in _other_ ways?"

Arthur felt a shiver of disgust travel down his spine. The demon leaned in again and flicked his tongue across the angel's neck, making Arthur tremble slightly at the sensation. He closed his eyes and let out a shuddering breath as the demon nibbled on his skin, shooting rockets of _something_ through Arthur's body. His mind fogged up as the unknown feeling, not an entirely unpleasant one, took over everything. Arthur wasn't even aware, nor did he care, that his face was flushed a bright red and he was moaning sinfully next to the demon's ears.

"Heh, never knew angels could make those sounds." The demon alluringly whispered into the angel's collarbone. "Wonder what other sounds you can make." He slid a hand into Arthur's slacks and caressed his inner thigh and one of his nails accidently scratched the skin. The slight pain awakened Arthur from his stupor and, with all the force he had in his weakened state, shoved the demon away from him.

Arthur was panting harshly as he glowered at the demon in front of him. "Don't. Touch. Me." He emphasized every word in a murderous tone that could send weaker demons running in fear. This demon, however, just laughed.

"Seemed like you were enjoying it though, sweetheart."

"Leave. Now."

"Awww, don't be like that darling." The demon put on a pout but his eyes still showed his amusement at everything. "This anyway to treat your savior?"

Arthur silently cursed his curiosity. "Savior?"

The demon nodded and lightly tapped the bandages around Arthur's chest. "Who else could've done it? I got you all cleaned and bandaged up which was a hard thing to do, you know." He eyed the smudges of blood on the bandages. "Angel's blood is _really _tempting."

Well, this was unexpected. And completely confusing and wrong. This demon _saving_ an angel from certain death? And right when they were in the middle of a war? It didn't make any sense. Even if the thing _was_ doing this for malicious reasons, things still didn't add up. The demon could have just locked him away, bloody and hurt, and had his way with him. Why the sentimental and humane gesture of bandaging him up?

"Why?"

"Why _what_ babe?"

"Don't play dumb with me, _demon_." Arthur spat out. " I want to know why you saved me."

"Because I secretly hate hell and the other demons and want to join the angels in the war?" Arthur scoffed at that and the demon grinned. "Okay, yeah not even I believed that. Wouldn't that be something though? Not that it would matter 'cause you guys are gonna lose anyways."

"We won't lose." Arthur practically yelled at the demon. The demon leaned forward and patted the angel's cheek.

"'Course you guys will! All of you are weak." He licked Arthur's jaw, making the other shiver again. "_Every last one of you." _

Arthur shoved the demon away and unconsciously tried to unsheathe his sword from his side, forgetting that he woke up with his weapon missing from its place. The demon laughed and stood up from the bed, having his hands up in a mock surrender.

"Oh no, not the invisible holy sword of doomed!" He laughed and backed away from Arthur. "Anything but that! I surrender!"

Arthur twitched. He loathed how this demon was clearly playing with him and he was having a hell of a time enjoying it. He opened his mouth to say something, he wasn't sure what but he had to say _something_ or his pride would never allow him to forgive himself, when the demon suddenly stopped laughing and stiffened. After a few seconds he sighed in irritation.

"Yeah, yeah I'm coming." He mumbled before grinning at Arthur in that mysterious way the angel was beginning to loathe. "Sorry darling, but they need me right now. Gotta fine tune some shit." He sighed dramatically. "Can never give me a break. It's what I get for being Captain." He leered at Arthur. "Ain't it the same for you _Captain Kirkland_?"

Arthur froze. "How do you-"

"Know your name?" He guessed. "That's a secret babe. _But_ I could tell you for a price." Arthur shuddered at the way the demon's eyes looked at him.

The demon stiffened again for a few seconds before growling. "I'm fucking coming damn it! Give me a damn minute before I rip those horns off that scrawny body and shove them through your eyes!" He turned to Arthur again. "So what do you say?"

Arthur grimaced. "As if I'll ever cooperate with any of your kind."

"Awww, I'm heartbroken now." He clutched his heart. "You sure are mean for an angel. How about this?" He seated himself on the bed again. "I'll answer your earlier question if you do me a favor." Arthur was about to scoff in the other's face but he was interrupted. "All you have to do is give me a kiss right here," He tapped his cheek," and I'll give the answer. Sound fair?"

Arthur stared at him for a few moments, wondering if this was a trap. It had to be. It was never wise to make an agreement with a demon, even if seemed fairly harmless but his curiosity was burning him. He should refuse. He should. He _really _should.

"…Alright."

The demon grinned and leaned forward. Arthur gulped, praying that he didn't just make a big mistake, and moved towards the demon. The second before his lips made contact with the demon's cheek, the demon moved with lighting speed and crushed his lips against the angel's. Arthur tried moving back but the demon had already grabbed him by his cheeks. He was trapped.

Arthur tried struggling more but the demon was stronger than him. He was unable to block the other's tongue from entering his mouth and couldn't help the soft moan that escaped his mouth. He could feel the demon's smirk as he continued to ravish Arthur's mouth, hungrily mapping out everything he could. After a few seconds of the demon practically devouring him and Arthur clawing at him, the demon pushed away and moved to the other side of the room.

"Not bad, for a _pure and holy_ angel." He grinned at Arthur's flush face.

"You lying-"

"I'm a _demon."_ He cut off Arthur. "Did you expect me to suddenly be an honest little angel just cuz of you?" Arthur said nothing. "A deal's a deal though so I'll answer your earlier question." With a smirk, the demon continued. "I, Captain Jones, helped you out because there was nothing better to do."

Arthur stared at him in disbelief. "You did it out of _boredom_?"

"Yep. Glad I did too. Learned angels are pretty good in _certain_ areas." He grinned and winked at Arthur. "If it wasn't for your aura, I'd believe you weren't an angel."

The demon suddenly appeared in front of Arthur and licked some of the blood that was seeping into the bandages. "It was fun babe. Maybe we'll get further next time. Bye bye sweetheart." With those words, the demon disappeared from Arthur's sight.

Arthur was immobile for the next few minutes. He was confused, angry, disoriented, _humiliated. _He shrieked at his own stupidity and cursed curiosity. How could he let that demon get the better of him? He was Captain Arthur Kirkland! He should have known better! He should have never even spoken to the demon in the first place!

Arthur glared at the space the demon had occupied a few minutes ago. No one makes a fool of Arthur Kirkland and gets away with it. _Especially _that blasted demon.

That demon thought they would meet for a _next time _hmm?

Well then, the next time they saw each other (and they will, Arthur will definitely make sure of it) he was going to personally destroy Captain Jones, no matter what it would take.


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: So I've decided to continue this story. ^.^ Thank you to all the people who reviewed/favorite/read this story, you guys are seriously the best! This fic probably won't be too long, probably 10 chapters or less, and it'll use a few thing from Supernatural like God disappearing and angels being able to teleport to places. Also, consider the chapter before this the prologue for this story. Without further a do, I hope you all enjoy the chapter. :)

Summary for this chapter: A little over a year has passed and Arthur is on earth. Unfortunately, so is Jones.

* * *

It was raining.

Arthur watched the droplets of water fall from the sky and hit the glass window of the small establishment he had decided to take refuge in (he had always hated the feeling of having his wings wet and unbalancing him). The cup of tea he had ordered- even if his kind didn't need food to survive, Arthur still enjoyed the aroma and taste of tea, especially black tea mixed with a splash of milk and honey- was half-empty and a bit lukewarm, a sign that it hadn't been too long since he had taken a seat and drew his gaze over to the rain. Every now and then a snippet of conversation would reach his ears but he mostly ignored the humans around him for his own thoughts.

Heaven was in chaos. Ever since the news that their father had disappeared, not even leaving a bloody note or a sign that would allude to a recent return, the place Arthur had called home for centuries had become bitter. His brothers and sisters could not agree on what to do now without their father's guidance. Half of them believed they should wait until He came back while others thought it was for the best to forget about Him and rule heavens for themselves. Arguments turned into threats and threats turned into actions. It wasn't exactly a civil war yet but Arthur wouldn't be surprised if the trigger for it would be pulled very soon, or already. He really didn't know the current status of heaven considering he left it months ago.

Arthur didn't know what to think of Father just suddenly leaving and the constant fights between his siblings didn't exactly give him a clear mind to think things through. He had known that eventually they would demand him to pick a side, something he didn't want to do, so without really thinking of it he ran.

It was cowardly, he knew that, and dangerous but Arthur didn't get to be a captain by pure luck. He had hidden most of his angelic presence away so his siblings couldn't just drag him back and fight by force and using some means he didn't really want to think about- he _had_ apologized over and over again silently for his wrongdoings and promised to later make it up- he had acquired a small flat and some money in the populated region of New York. He would have chosen England but he knew that would have been the first place they would look for him so he ruled that place out.

Playing human would not be easy but Arthur would have never thought it would be this difficult. Ignoring finding a semi-stable job (he was lucky to find a job in a local bookstore) and making sure that no angelic presences were near him or could detect him (easier said than done unfortunately), Arthur found himself having a stalker. A stalker that he really wished he could kill on the spot but couldn't due to multiple reasons.

He never would have thought Jones would find him and then proceed to annoy him until his composure snapped. Arthur tried to keep up to his promise of killing the demon but Jones was cleverer than he originally thought. Every encounter had the same basic pattern. They meet, they fight, Arthur gains the advantage and prepares to stab him, and then Jones would bloody turn into a child and look _innocent and helpless and human_ _and whimper-_

And then Arthur would just growl, turn away, and disappear to a remote area to let out his frustrations as he tried to beat Jones's victorious laugh from his mind.

Arthur let out an angry huff and faintly traced the outline of the demon blade that was tucked securely into his coat's inner pocket. Not that he needed it, he could always just smite the daylights out of Jones with the touch of his hand, but something always kept him at bay. It was probably the same thing that kept him from killing Jones seconds before he could turn into a (quite adorable, much to Arthur's annoyance) child. _What _that thing was, however, was a complete and utter mystery to him so he just ignored it most of the time. Of course Jones would then proceed to bring it up and their little dance would begin all over.

Arthur finished up the last of his tea and headed towards the door. The rain was still pouring down without any signs of lighting up anytime soon but the irritatingly familiar presence that just appeared a few tables behind him didn't give him much choice in the matter. He politely nodded at a waitress who told him to have a nice day before crossing the threshold. The water hit his face immediately and he cursed at the fact that his coat would get ruined after this. And he really liked this one too.

The presence was following him, just like Arthur knew he would. He kept a steady pace towards a street he knew to be empty at this hour and only stopped when he had reached it. He turned around and pointed his dagger at his follower, who looked at it amused.

"Hey Kirkland, fancy meeting you here."

"Jones," Arthur spat out, "Why do you insist on following me?"

"'s boring down there." Jones shrugged. "It's no fun if we can't bother you guys but we can't since you all decided to play civil war." A grin. "Except for one little angel. Or is it human now?"

"Go away before I kill you."

Jones laughed. "If you really wanted to kill me, you would have done so already~" Suddenly he was in front of Arthur, leaning in so they were only inches apart. "Plenty of chances to do it but you didn't. And you won't. The little angel is all alone on earth and his only company is a demon. He won't kill him because if he did, he'd go insane from loneliness. And then he'd_ fall_." Jones backed away a few feet, not even a flinch of pain on his face at the deep cut on his bicep. He just laughed.

"I wouldn't mind if you fell you know." He continued. "You'll always be mine either way~" This time Arthur threw the dagger, aiming for the stomach, but Jones avoided it easily. He picked up the dagger and spun it around playfully. Arthur looked at it wearily. "Angel, demon, _human_, whatever you are you're always mine, no matter what."

Arthur took a step back. He felt a cold chill run up his spine at the words Jones said and all that his mind could process was _'Get out of here, get out of here now!' _So without looking back Arthur turned on his heels and ran. He was grateful that Jones didn't follow.

He ran all the way to his flat, fumbling for the keys in his pants pocket instead of just appearing inside. Once inside, Arthur made his way towards the couch and lied down on it, closing his eyes. His head hurt. He gently rubbed his temples but the pain didn't subside, which was odd. His healing powers didn't work on his headache and he didn't know why. Jones probably had something to do with it.

This was the first time Arthur had ran away from a fight, from _him._ Rage passed through his core that he quickly suppressed. He didn't want to lose his concentration and accidentally let his guard down so his _family_- again, he scoffed at the word- could find him. Although, he didn't know what was the better option- going back to heaven or staying on earth with Jones. Maybe he could take him out in his sleep...

Arthur quickly ruled that thought out. He would never voice it out loud but the thought of killing a defenseless thing always made him feel horribly guilty. It was one of the reasons why he could never kill Jones when he turned into a child. The bastard probably knew this too.

"Bloody demon." He murmured. "Why can't I kill you?"

If Arthur had opened his eyes at that time, he would have seen Jones appear right in front of him. He would have seen Jones smile, not leer or smirk, down at him before quietly placing the dagger Arthur had left down on top of the coffee table. A mischievous glint passed through his eyes and he leaned down and quickly whispered something into Arthur's ear- he whispered it low enough for Arthur to believe that he had imagined those two words- before disappearing into thin air.


	3. Chapter 2

Summary for this chapter: Everything around Arthur is both confusing and familiar to him. Sadly, his headache isn't making anything better. Neither is Jones, like always.

* * *

_Arthur didn't have a clue as to why he was drawn to the small Virginian town as much as he was. There were no angels, no demons. Just a few miles worth of buildings, streets, and the occasional tree all dusted with fresh snow. He looked around the area a bit but quickly grew bored with the town's layout. How humans could live day-to-day seeing the same boring things was something Arthur would probably never understand. Not that he would want to. He was perfectly pleased with what he was, thank you very much. _

_Wrapping his arms around himself to keep out the cold, Arthur continued his walk through the town. The streets were practically empty except for a few people every now and then. Most of them- even the children, much to Arthur's sympathy- wore dirty workers clothes and had bags under their eyes. They passed by Arthur sluggishly, gathering the remaining of their energy to move their feet a few mores step so they could reach their homes and rest. _

_His random walk through town eventually led him to the part of the town where the factories were. Groups of children rushed out of the building, each with a look of exhaustion. They all walked passed him to the main road that led to town, all except for one kid. Curiosity overtook Arthur and so he silently followed the boy as he walked to the back of the factory and leaned against the wall. _

_For a while, nothing happened. The boy- he was more of a young adolescent, 15 at most, with blonde hair tucked under a worn out hat-stared at his shoes- they were also worn out, so much that it was a wonder that they hadn't split apart yet- and was noticeably trembling. He didn't bother to wrap his thin, brown coat around himself though, much to Arthur's confusion. It was like the boy wasn't even aware he was slowly freezing to death. What could the lad be thinking about so hard? _

_Arthur concentrated on the boy's thoughts. They were all jumbled up with pent up anger and frustration and exhaustion. He felt so tired of living, tired of not living up to anything, that he couldn't take it anymore and so-_

_There was a switchblade in his pocket. Arthur didn't have to look into the lad's thoughts to realize what the boy intended to do next. _

_Well, this was a predicament. Should he talk the lad out of it or-_

_What was he thinking? Of course he should stop him! As an angel-_

"Wake up," _Arthur turned his attention to the boy and froze at the bright blue eyes that were gazing up at him. "_Wake up."

* * *

Arthur opened his eyes and found himself splayed on the couch. His breathing was a bit erratic and his head was still aching but that wasn't what was on his mind at the moment.

He had fallen asleep. Had dreamed. Angels were not supposed to do that.

Maybe he was spending too much time away from heaven. That was why his healing powers weren't as effective anymore and why his head felt like it was going to split in half. His Grace was longing to go back to its home and would do anything to get what it wanted, even if meant going against its angel.

As much as it pained him though, Arthur knew going back to heaven wasn't an option for him. An indecisive angel was worse than one who chose a side. Arthur would be accused of treason by both sides and then punished accordingly. And the punishment for treason was worse than death. If any of his brothers were to ever find him and drag him back, they would rip his wings and Grace from him and his body would fall from paradise. He would become a fallen angel.

Just thinking about what could happen to him made his headache throb more.

Arthur touched his temples and let out a contempt sigh when some of the pain faded away. His head was still hurting but it was bearable now. He lifted himself off the couch and stretched his stiff muscles. His eyes wandered over to the small calendar pinned to the wall near the kitchen and groaned when he realized he had work today. Taking a day off on such short notice would make _someone_ suspicious so he had no choice but to go. _Fantastic. _

In the blink of an eye, Arthur wore a new set of clothes- something simple, just a pair of jeans, a buttoned shirt and a jacket- and appeared in front of the bathroom mirror to make sure he looked presentable. After failing to tame his hair- even after countless centuries of trying, Arthur could never get his hair the way he wanted it to be- Arthur disappeared from the apartment.

He didn't notice the dagger at all.

* * *

Arthur worked in a small bookstore a few blocks away from his flat. It had been only a few days since he had run from his brothers and he was wandering the streets, worried about what he was going to do now that he could never return, when a man had accidentally bumped into him. The box he had been carrying had dropped onto Arthur's feet and the man had spent half an hour constantly apologizing to the blond and had eventually offered him a job as a way to make up for his clumsiness. Arthur, not one to look a gifted horse in the mouth, took the job.

The man, Arthur's current boss, introduced himself as Antonio Fernandez Carreido. He was a Spaniard who had decided to move to the States for the legendary _American Dream_ and was well on his way to accomplishing it. Antonio's bookstore was well known with the teenagers and young adults of the area, who preferred his charisma and charm over the stiffness of the library located two blocks away. It was pure luck that Arthur had bumped into him, or maybe it wasn't (Judging by his presence Antonio wasn't an angel or a demon but there was something strange about him, something familiar. Arthur didn't really ponder over it though. It was common to see resemblances between humans when one lives so long).

"Hello Arthur!" Antonio waved at the blond once he entered the bookstore. Arthur greeted back with a small wave. "Some new books came in this morning. They should be put in the _New Arrival _section. Oh, and switch out the books in the _Recommended Books _sections with ones that you like! If you need help, I'll be at the register! _Adios!" _Antonio gave one last smile before hurrying off the empty register, where a small line had already formed.

Arthur sighed at his boss's disorganization. It was a miracle the bookstore had lasted a week with just Antonio as its only worker- he had never told Arthur the reason why he never decided to hire anyone before Arthur- let alone a few years. How Antonio managed would forever be a mystery.

The new books were in the back room, stacked into multiple boxes labeled _New._ Arthur picked up a box and a pocketknife, he could carry more but he didn't want to explain to Antonio why he could carry four large boxes at the same time, and headed to the front bookshelf where the new arrivals were placed. He set the box down on the floor. Antonio had already emptied the shelves for him so all he had to do was place the books in alphabetical order. Once opening the box with the pocketknife, Arthur picked up a few books and began placing them on the shelves.

It took him several minutes to finish the first box and he was just about to go back into the back room for the next one when he heard something fall to the floor. Arthur turned back to the shelf and raised an eyebrow at the lone book on the floor. The shelf he had stocked was still full so it wasn't possible for the book to have fallen from there. He bent down to pick it up and ask Antonio where the book should go when the title caught his eye.

_Wake Up_ by _Francis Bonnefoy _

"_Wake up." _

The back cover, where the summary was usually written, was blank. In its place was a drawing of two black roses intertwined by the stems with the infamous two words, _wake up_, written at the bottom in cursive. Arthur's curiosity was peaked. The book mostly likely had a plot that consisted of someone awakening in some way either mentally or physically, hence the title, and yet...

And yet he wouldn't know for sure unless he opened it.

It wouldn't hurt to open the book, read its contents. That's what a book was for after all. Who knows, maybe Arthur would become enraptured with the book and he would find something to entertain himself with for a few hours. Despite the repetitive plots and cliché moments, he rather enjoyed reading. Stories written by humans were always interesting. They showed the inner workings of the human mind and it allowed Arthur a chance to understand humans, if only a little. It was an educational experience and who was he to deny himself a chance to understand the way his Father's precious creations worked?

"A-Arthur!" Out of nowhere, Antonio- wasn't he all the way across the store?- swiped the book from Arthur's hands. His smile was a bit too wide and Arthur could have sworn that his eye was twitching. "Can you do me a favor and take this manuscript to, um, _espera_, let me write it down..." He fetched out a scrap of paper and pen from his pants and scribbled down the address quickly. Arthur noticed he never let go of the book throughout all this time. "Take it here. A friend of mine needs it by today and it's not that far, probably only an hour if you take the subway. I'll finish up with the books here so take your time! Have a safe trip Arthur-"

"Wait," Antonio blinked down at him, his eyes holding a slight panic to them. His shoulders were tense too. " I need a name or I'll accidentally give this to the wrong person..."

Antonio's shoulders slumped down and his smiles eased up. "His name is Gilbert. Believe me, you'll know who he is when you see him. He is a bit…strange."

"All right..." Arthur straightened up and took the manuscript- strange, he didn't recall him having it on him when he came- and scrap of paper and headed towards the front door. He gave Antonio another wave. "I'll be off then."

"Hasta luego!" Antonio beamed at him. Arthur turned his back to him and failed to notice how Antonio's nails dug into the book's cover hard enough to leave marks.

* * *

Arthur walked into an alleyway and looked at the address Antonio had given him once before he disappeared from the alley and onto the front steps of what should be Gilbert's home. It wasn't the modest house or flat that he was used to seeing around New York City. It was more like a small manor, with its three sets of floors and driveway. Arthur stared at the house for a few seconds before sighing and heading towards the front door. He didn't even know why this surprised him. Antonio had mentioned a few times of a friend who had helped him financially over the years. This Gilbert guy was probably the same person.

Once he had reached the front door Arthur tentatively knocked on the mahogany-made door and waited for someone to open it. A few minutes passed of Arthur awkwardly standing in front of the door, contemplating whether he should just appear inside and leave the manuscript on top of the first table he saw when the door finally opened.

The maid- at least the woman clothes resembled some sort of house worker- glared dangerously at him for a second before her expression became blank of emotion. "You're here for Gilbert?" She deadpanned. Arthur nodded and gestured towards the manuscript in his hands.

"Yes, I have a manuscript for him from Antonio Carreido..." The maid's eyes widened.

"Carreido sent you?" At Arthur's nod, she opened the door wider and motioned for Arthur to come in. He followed her throughout the hallway and into a sitting room larger than Arthur's flat. The maid mumbled to wait one moment before ascending the stairs. Arthur had just taken a seat on the loveseat when her voice rang through the room. "Gilbert, come down! He's not going to bite!"

A muffled response answered her that Arthur had no trouble hearing. _'Like hell he won't! The guy has a biting fetish!' _Arthur raised an eyebrow at that. What was he talking about?

The maid yelled back," Your stupid friend sent him to give you something!"

"And you believed that? Goddammit Natalia!" At that, Arthur heard two pair of footsteps make their way through the upstairs hallway and cautiously down the first couple of stairs.

Antonio was right about Gilbert being strange. Appearance wise at least. It's not everyday- not even for Arthur- to meet someone with white hair and dark red eyes. He wore a dark suit with a blood red shirt underneath and a weird symbol on the left side of the jacket. Arthur felt a pang of familiarity at the crest but brushed it off. He had probably seen it years ago and that's why it stood out to him so much.

Come to think about it, he'd been saying that a lot lately hasn't he?

"Hey," Arthur's train of thought was abruptly cut off by a rough sounding voice- he was probably German, if the accent was anything to go by- near him. Gilbert had seated himself across from him in a large armchair, elbow propped up on the armrest so his cheek could rest comfortably on his hand. He stared at Arthur much like the maid (Gilbert had called her Natalia) had at first, but his expression was more guarded. "So, _Tony _sent you huh? Fucking traitor. Probably did it for money-"

"He didn't send me here to ask you for money, if that's what you're implying." Arthur snapped a bit harsher than he had attended. Antonio had been kind to Arthur all this time and if he was being honest, he could almost call the Spaniard a friend. He didn't like the way Gilbert said Antonio's name, with exasperation and annoyance. How could Antonio call this man, who didn't seem to care for him at all, a friend? Weren't humans supposed to be pickier when it came to who they befriended and such?

Gilbert had long since shut his mouth at Arthur's outburst and gave the blond angel a glare that could have rivaled that of a demon's. Arthur glared back, refusing to become intimidated by a human.

"Antonio said you needed this manuscript by today and sent me because he was busy with the store." Arthur waved the manuscript in his hand, not breaking eye contact with the other. "That's all."

"Really?" Gilbert gave him an incredulous stare. "That's all you're here for?"

"Gil!" Natalia hissed into Gilbert's ear. Gilbert ignored her and stared at Arthur, expectant.

Arthur thought of the crest on Gilbert's suit. "Have we met before by any chance? That crest is a tad familiar." Gilbert's eyes changed from cautious to confused. Natalia smacked his head muttered '_idiot_' under her breath.

It took another couple of seconds for Gilbert's eyes to widen. "Schiebe…" He breathed before bursting out laughing. Arthur watched in utter confusion as the red-eyed man clutched his stomach and leaned forward slightly, his laughter not letting up in the slightest. "T-tony you fucking prankster! Gott, this is awesome!"

Arthur shifted in his seat. He felt incredibly uncomfortable watching Gilbert laugh for some reason. It reminded him too much of a demon. A lot of things about Gilbert reminded him of a demon actually. Even his presence was unusually dark for a human. What was Antonio thinking befriending someone as dangerous as Gilbert?

"Earth to Kirkland," Arthur realized Gilbert had stopped laughing but he now sported a giant grin that reminded of Arthur about a cat he'd read about a few decades ago. "As I was saying, sorry about that. Tony likes to play pranks on me sometimes and he can get pretty damn creative when he's bored. Last one he played ended with the both of us spending the night in jail." Gilbert snickered. "We both swore to lay off the pranks but Tony's not the type to keep his word sometimes so when you said he sent you, I thought it was another of his games. Can't blame a guy for being paranoid right?" Arthur nodded. "_Ja_ so you can leave the manuscript on the loveseat and Natalia here will show you the way out." He stood up and motioned for Arthur to as well. He offered his gloved hand to him. "No hard feelings?"

"Of course," Arthur shook Gilbert's hand and the image of it, ungloved and stained in blood, flashed into his mind but disappeared the second Gilbert withdrew his hand.

As Natalia escorted him out, Arthur couldn't resist the urge to turn his head back to the direction of the sitting room.

Gilbert's grin was still in place but his eyes were almost glowing red as they made eye contact with Arthur's. Gilbert winked at him before turning to the loveseat to pick up the manuscript.

Antonio was right. Gilbert was a strange man.

* * *

Antonio would become suspicious if Arthur returned to the bookstore so fast so he decided to take a walk through a nearby park to pass the time. He had materialized a mug filled with tea and took regular sips of it contently. The tea and walk helped him get rid of the off feeling he had after meeting Gilbert. Nature, with the occasional cup of tea, seemed to always calm him down (it was probably because he was an angel).

So he was more than a bit annoyed when someone bumped into him and made him drop his mug.

"_Excusez moi monsieur__, _I did not mean to bump into you. I was a bit distracted looking for someone…" The man gazed at Arthur with hopeful blue eyes. "Have you by any chance seen a boy in a blue sweater anywhere?"

"I'm sorry but I haven't." Arthur looked apologetically at the man. He noticed he had blond hair that reached a bit past his shoulders tied into a low ponytail and a small amount of stubble on his chin.

"I see…" The man sighed in distress but his eyes gazed over Arthur curiously. "You are English, _oui__?_"

Arthur refused the urge to roll his eyes. "Does my accent give it away?" He let the sarcasm drip from his voice, enjoying how the man frowned. "And I suppose you're French?"

The man lit up at that. "Why of course! Francis Bonnefoy, at your service. I am truly sorry for the loss of your tea _monsieur…?" _

"Arthur. Arthur Kirkland." The man's name finally registered in his mind. "Wait, did you say Francis Bonnefoy?" Francis nodded, a slight twinkle in his eye. "You're the one who wrote that book…"

"Ah," Francis smile widened. "_Wake up,_ yes?"

Arthur nodded. "Right, that one."

"It is my best work, if I do say so myself. Judging by that lost expression in your eyes though, I believe you have not read it yet."

"I haven't had the chance…" Arthur trailed off when Francis's eyes darkened. "If it's not too much trouble, do you think it would be all right if you gave me a short preview of it? It does look like an interesting read." The book that Antonio prevented him from reading was something that had been in the back of Arthur's mind ever since he had left the bookstore. There was no summary, no critics in the back. It was a complete and utter mystery until one opened its pages.

Francis's eyes brightened at the question. "I am afraid I am not the type to give spoilers, _mon cher__, _but I am willing to bend the rules a bit for a prospective fan. The book is a bit of an allegory of sorts. It is a story inside a story. Only a few special people can fully understand it, if not relate to it. On the outside, the protagonist leads a life full of problems and deals with them the best he can. On the outside, the book is about his journey of self-discovery and victory. The story inside the story though is quite more complicated than that. That certain world is for you to rediscover and live in, as confusing as that sounds. I am afraid any more hints would ruin the book for you so I will say no more on the matter."

"It seems I was right." Francis looked at Arthur expectantly," The book _does _sound like an interesting read. I'll have to make time to read it soon." Arthur gave the Frenchman a small smile. "Thank you for indulging me."

"It was no problem _mon cher._" Francis chuckled. "I hate to cut this short but I must really be going. If I keep my son waiting for too long, he will run away again." He turned to a particularly bundled group of trees and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Alfred, we are leaving now! We will miss the play at this rate!"

"Coming!" Arthur tensed up at the childish voice. _No…_

A boy of about ten years old came running out from the trees. Like Francis had mentioned, he was wearing a blue sweater so it was obvious that the boy was Francis's son. The boy had wheat blond hair and a pair of electric blue eyes that Arthur was quite accustomed to seeing.

When Francis had mentioned his son's name was Alfred, Arthur didn't realize it was the same bloody demon that enjoyed annoying him.

Jones ran up to Francis and hugged his waist, ignoring Arthur for the moment. "We can get ice cream later right? You promised!"

Francis chuckled softly and ruffled Jones's hair. "Only if you behave during the play." He turned to Arthur and bowed in an exaggerated way. Arthur would have scoffed if he hasn't still in a state of shock. "I believe this is where we part. Though if we meet again, please let me treat you to a cup of tea to recompense for the one you lost today. _Au revoir mon cher." _Francis grabbed Jones's hand and started guiding him away from Arthur and towards the park's exit.

"Bye bye mister!" Jones smiled sweetly at him though his eyes betrayed how amused he was at the situation. "Maybe we can play together next time!"

Arthur watched them go for a few more seconds before the reality of the situation hit him. Before Francis could leave his range of sight, Arthur did a quick search through his thoughts. According to the Frenchman's memories, Alfred Jones was a boy he had adopted eight months ago. That was all the information Arthur could access at such a far away distance (that and his mind was currently a mess).

Arthur was not the only being Alfred Jones was toying with but why did it feel as if he was missing something?

His head was beginning to hurt again.

* * *

"Are you sure this is gonna work Francis?" Alfred- he was in the adult form of the child he had been earlier, he was even wearing the same clothes- stared at the Frenchman questioningly. Francis waved the question off and continued walking as if he hadn't heard the other. Alfred frowned. "I'm talking to you, y'know. I know you can hear me since I know you're not like everyone else 'round here."

"You talk too much _monsieur._ It is a miracle they have not found us yet, what with all the talking you do." Francis stared at the motionless beings around him in disdain. "_Monsieur_ Honda must be very skilled considering we have come this far. And to answer your question, _oui_, I am positive that as long as we play our roles well then this plan will work."

"And asking him out is a part of your role?" Francis could feel the glare Alfred was given him and he couldn't help but to smirk.

"Jealous?" Alfred glared harder and Francis chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm not interested in him. I am just helping an old friend out. That is why I am here, no?"

"I guess…" Alfred shoved his hands in his sweater's pockets. "Just don't go off track!"

Francis nodded. "As I said, if we play our roles well then we will have what we want. There is no way I am going to mess my part up and I hope the same from you and _monsieur _Honda."

"Kiku'll definitely do his part right. And you shouldn't worry 'bout me. I'll do my role fucking perfectly if that's what it takes." Alfred said, a hint of determination in his voice. "'Cuz I want my Arthur back and nothin' is going to stop me from that."

* * *

A/N: I am so sorry for the wait on this chapter! Writer's block combined with a few personal problems dealing with school is never a good combination. I hope the length of this chapter can make you all forgive me...?

And can any of you guess the two words Alfred said in the last chapter? It's a bit obvious but I'd love to see how many of you figured it out. ^.^


	4. Chapter 3

Summary for this chapter: Things are not normal so he has no choice but to make a deal with the devil. Again.

* * *

The next few days were peculiar to say the least. Antonio had become even more clumsier, if that was possible, and more talkative- always wanting to know what Arthur had done the day before and what he plans on doing; he was starting to annoy Arthur with all the questions. To add to that, the bloody Spaniard kept making ridiculous excuses to keep Arthur away from the book Francis had written. It was apparently either the only one of its kind or completely sold out, as Arthur could not find a single copy in the library or other bookstores, and Antonio for some reason was determined to return it to its owner. _"It belongs to someone so you can't take it home! How would you like it if someone took something special from you?" _was the usual answer Arthur received whenever he mentioned the book. Not to mention the odd look in Antonio's green eyes during the few times Arthur chose to press the subject. They almost seemed paranoid.

To add to that, he was still sleeping, and even worse, dreaming. It was always the same dream, too. At least, it always involved the same blond, blue-eyed boy that had an eerie resemblance towards Jones. It was most likely some sort of message that his Father wanted him to know but Arthur, for the life of him, could not figure out what the dream was supposed to mean. There were no allusions towards war or deception or even a status report on how heaven was fairing, only the boy that seemed to give up on life. He didn't know how those details were supposed to help him figure out his Father's odd sense of humor.

Whatever it was, there was a strong chance that Jones was deeply involved. The demon had been oddly quiet as of lately and had not bothered Arthur in days, an odd thing considering it was the first Jones had gone this long without even showing his presence to him. Despite the sudden silence and relaxing atmosphere these past few days- excluding Antonio's sudden desire to know everything about Arthur and the constant ache in his head that never seemed to disappear completely- Arthur felt more tense than ever. Demons were never quiet unless they were planning something. But what in the world could Jones be planning? The possibilities were endless, considering the demon's status in hell. Just thinking about everything that could happen made his shoulders tense up more than they already were.

"_Estas bien_ Arthur?" Arthur was ripped out of his thoughts by the sound of Antonio's slightly worried tone. He turned around to face his boss and saw that the brunette's usual smile was gone, replaced by a frown. "You've been standing there staring at the bookshelf for a while now…"

Arthur looked around and realized Antonio was right. He was in the middle of the aisle with the box of books he was supposed to be stacking at his feet, still sealed. He coughed in embarrassment and forced out a weak chuckle. "It's nothing, just a bit distracted that's all…"

Judging by the look on his face, Antonio didn't believe him. "Liar. You've been acting odd for the last few days. You're quieter, space out more, and you have dark circled under your eyes."

Arthur tried not to flinch at the accusations. His body had become restless lately despite all the sleeping he had recently been doing. His wings were sore from being hidden for so long, his head ached nonstop, his soul and grace ached to go back to heaven, his pride screamed at him to stay on earth, his morals told him to confront Jones. Overall, he was tried both physically and mentally but, since he wasn't a human, he couldn't take a nap and recharge his spirits. The only way was to go back _home_-

Antonio sighed and poked Arthur's cheek. "_Veas?_ You're spacing out right now _idiota._ What could you be thinking about so hard..."Antonio trailed off, his green eyes widening in realization; Arthur blinked in confusion. The blond peeked into Antonio's mind and saw images of pink hearts and hand holding…_oh. _

"_Oh."_ Antonio breathed. His lips twitched up slightly. "_Oh. _Is it that one guy that came in here about two months ago? Black hair and blue eyes-_" _

"No!" Arthur glared at him but he could feel himself flush in embarrassment. Damn that one time Jones decided to bother him in front of Antonio. "That is _not_ why-"

"You don't have to hide it~" Antonio practically sang, grinning. Oh he was enjoying this far too much. "_Sabes qué__? _Take the day off. There isn't that many people today so I can handle things by myself." Before Arthur could protest, Antonio gently grasped his shoulders and began leading him to the entrance. "You look really tired so if you take the day off, you can relax! You can go that coffee shop you like so much and drink some coffee, wait, no, you like tea…you can drink some tea and then take a _siesta_ or even go on a date! See, there are a lot of things you can do for fun!"

Arthur kept staring at him as if he had grown a second head. "A _date? _With _Jones_? _Are you bloody insane?_ I'd rather spend the day watching paint dry!"

"So his name is Jones?" Antonio looked amused by this piece of information. "_Un nombre extraño__._" They had now reached the front part of the store. Antonio let of Arthur's shoulders and turned him around to face him. "Now, am I going to kick you out of my store and can you do that by yourself?"

Arthur glared at him once more and Antonio returned it with a smile. The blond twitched before turning away, muttering a few curses at the Spaniard. He grabbed his messenger bag from where he had put it behind the counter and stomped over the entrance. "You are the worst human I have ever met." He muttered under his breath. Antonio chuckled.

"You'll thank me later! Oh, and Arthur?" He called out the blond just as he had crossed the threshold. Arthur turned around and noticed Antonio had a smug grin on. "I never said to go on a date with _Jones_."

Antonio slammed the front door shut just as Arthur began to yell.

* * *

There was one thing Antonio hadn't counted for.

In all the time Arthur had been in New York, he had not once been interested in its sights. Not to say he didn't think the city was beautiful- on the contrary, it was a sight to behold once the sun had set. It was just that he could never see the point at making time out of his busy schedule to go visit landmarks that he had seen plenty of time before. He was centuries years old for heaven's sake; he had already seen most of what earth had to offer a long time ago.

The only places Arthur really enjoyed were the park and a small coffee shop located a few blocks away from Antonio's bookstore, which is where he currently found himself. He hadn't ordered anything yet, still lost in his thoughts. It wasn't his fault that the majority of his time was spent protecting his identity and hunting down the occasional monster than came into the city though it was more the former than the latter. He had not seen another monster other than Jones in half a year. If there was anyone to blame, which there was, it would be his idiotic elder brothers up in heaven. They were the ones who felt they could lead everyone better than their Father, the ones who began the civil war and tore everyone apart, the ones who cornered him and demand he choose a side and when he refused and pleaded with them, _begged them on his knees to stop fighting_, they didn't even hesitate on holding him down and grasping his trembling wings with their cold hands-

A shooting pain in his head distracted him from his train of thought and his vision blanked. Arthur yelped in shock and clutched his head, panic and shock filling his mind when his healing powers were ineffective. A high-pitched ringing resounded through his ears and Arthur bit his tongue to keep the scream at bay. He could feel something warm and sticky spilling from his ears and down his throat. His world felt too fragile, as if it were about to break at any given moment.

His head gave one more painful stab before it suddenly disappeared, as if it was never there. The ringing was a bit slower but it eventually faded away as well. Arthur continued to sit there- bending over the table slightly, eyes shut, and head still clutched in his hands- for what seemed like hours. There were no other sounds besides his labored breathing and the loud beating of his heart.

Slowly, life began to move again. The sounds of the other patrons in the shop filled his ears as his body steadily calmed down. The world around him came into motion again. His senses had gradually come back and, with them, so did the strong smell of caffeine that forever haunted the shop and the touch of a hand caressing his hair. A hand that wasn't his.

The realization was enough to make Arthur snap his eyes open. There was someone, no, _something,_ sitting in the seat across from him, a grin on his face as he continued to run his fingers through Arthur's hair.

"_You," _Arthur practically growled at the demon in front of him and swatted the hand away as hard as he could. The demon just laughed merrily and picked up his cup of coffee with the hand Arthur had just hit.

"Kirkland," Jones grinned, his blue eyes shining with amusement. "It's been a while huh?"

"And here I thought someone finally killed you," Arthur mumbled, ignoring the question. Jones pouted and leaned forward.

"You know you would miss me," He grinned. "Who else would keep you entertained in this boring city?"

"New York City is quite the sight," Arthur remarked.

"Then why haven't you even seen the Statue of Liberty?" Jones mused, taking another gulp of coffee. "It's not like you're _busy_ or anything. Haven't you noticed it yet?"

"Noticed what?"

Jones stared at him, disappointed. The expression made Arthur's stomach churn. "That there hasn't been a demon or monster, angels included," Arthur glowered at him for that," in this area in _months. _Everyone's disappeared a few weeks after a _certain angel_ showed up."

"That's splendid," Arthur bit back. "That means I'm doing my job despite the daily bloody distractions I have to go through. You may not know this Jones but I despise your kind so hearing about the possible extermination of them in this area actually brings me joy."

Jones' expression was unreadable. "You don't get it do you? New York City is empty of any supernatural beings except for the two of us. Shouldn't that worry you or at least get you curious?"

Arthur stared at him suspiciously. "What does it matter to you whether I'm concerned or not? We are enemies Jones and we always will be. That will never change."

That seemed to have brought a reaction out of the dark haired demon. Jones slammed his hands down onto the table and gave Arthur his best glare. Arthur felt a pang of fear run through him as the electric blue eyes- they were practically _glowing_ with rage- met his own surprised emerald ones. He had never seen Jones angry before so he had never realized how absolutely terrifying it was to be the victim of that gaze. He would never admit it out loud, but Arthur actually preferred Jones' cheerful, teasing side to this _monster._

"You are really pissing me off here _Arthur._" The angel felt a shiver go down his spine at the use of his first name. Jones had never done that before. "I know you can be stubborn and short-tempered and an idiot pretty much all the time but goddam it get a clue already! There is obviously something fucking wrong with the way things are here and since you can't see it I have to pause my plans to_ tell_ you something's wrong and it's fucking annoying. Now are you gonna listen to me or are you gonna throw another tantrum?"

Arthur twitched and bit back the urge to smite Jones right there on the spot. He was crossing the line and Arthur should have stabbed him for it but something held him back. He had to admit what Jones had said was right. He _had_ noticed something odd happening to the city but Arthur had been to busy trying to protect himself to investigate. It made him sick to think that he had to be brought back into reality by Jones of all beings. He was just glad that he had chosen the secluded corner of the coffee shop to sit in or else he would have had to worry about being overheard for his next words. The less witnesses to his degradation of pride, the better.

"…Go on." He gritted through his teeth. He could feel his cheeks heating up in embarrassment and he had to remind himself it was his duty as an angel to protect his Father's creations so he wouldn't disappear into his flat and bury his face in a pillow.

Jones stared at him with slightly wide eyes. He had obviously expected more of a fight. "…Really?"

"Before I change my mind." Arthur snapped.

Jones didn't hesitate. "If you say so. As I said, New York City is completely void of supernatural beings, not counting you or me. Considering this is _New York_ for hell's sake, that's pretty damn weird. What's weirder is that it's only happening in this city. Once you pass the city limits there's a whole bunch of demons roaming the streets. I even saw an angel or two." He ignored the way Arthur stiffened. "They ain't looking for you, trust me. That civil war of theirs is way more important than you right now. Anyways, I asked a few demons why they were avoiding the city and they said they weren't avoiding it." He paused a bit to sip his coffee. "They're locked out."

Arthur stared at him. "They can't get in?"

"Nope." Jones shrugged.

"It's probably a spell cast by angels then," Arthur deducted. "Though I'm curious as to why _you_ are allowed into the city."

"Oh I'm a special case," Jones grinned and winked at him. Arthur was unimpressed. "And this spell isn't just keeping demons out. It's keeping anything supernatural out, except for a few exceptions."

"Why would angels cast a spell that repels even them?"

"That's the mystery," Jones sighed. "Usually I'd just ignore problems like this, hell I'm sometimes the one causing them, but this case is a bit personal to me. You won't believe me but I'm not just in this city to annoy you." Arthur scoffed. "Told ya. There's something I have to do here and I can't, _I won't_, leave without completing it."

"And why are you telling me this?"

Jones stared at him. "We're the only two supernatural beings here. It's pretty obvious why. As much as I know you're gonna hate this idea, I'm going to say it anyway. I think we should work together-"

"Are you bloody insane-"

"-So we can crack this case and go on our separate ways." Jones finished. "And if you say yes, I promise to not be as _annoying_." He rolled his eyes at the last part. "So what do you say? Feel like putting our species' rivalry aside so we can figure this out?"

"Not a chance," Arthur replied immediately. Jones blinked at him, shocked. "This doesn't benefit me at all. It would actually help me if my _brothers_ couldn't come here to look for me and the city is so much better without your kind ruining the peace I've long accustomed to. Figure this out yourself if you're so bloody curious. I refuse to make a deal with you ever again."

"You're still hung up on that?" Jones pouted. "Come on, it was just a make out session. Don't be such an angel." Arthur glared at him for that. Jones sighed again. "Okay how about this? You help me on this and I'll tell you why you've been getting those headaches."

Arthur paled. "How do you-"

"I've got my sources," The demon shrugged. "Hell, I'll even tell you what those dreams of yours mean as a bonus. So what do you say? Feel like making another deal with the devil?"

Did Arthur even have a choice? Obviously, he didn't. He couldn't understand how Jones knew about his headaches or dreams but he knew what they meant and that was more than enough to make Arthur apprehensive. Who knew what Jones would do with that kind of information, especially if it was a message from Father? Arthur needed to know what Jones knew so he could at least have a fighting chance against the dark haired demon. Even if that meant partnering up with said demon.

"I am not kissing you again," Arthur declared, defeat clear in his voice. Jones visibly relaxed and grinned.

"We have to seal the deal somehow…." His eyes lit up with an idea. "From now, we call each other on a first name bases. Either that or we do it the old fashioned way!" He immediately said when Arthur opened his mouth to protest. Arthur sighed. Oh well, it could be worse…

"Fine."

"Great!" Jones held his hand out, the grin never leaving his face. "Let's finish this as fast as we can then, _Arthur." _

Arthur ignored the way his stomach flipped at the way Jones- ah; he couldn't call him that now could he? - said his name. He reluctantly shook hands with the demon. "I should have killed you when I had the chance."

"You haven't said my name yet~" Jones sang. Arthur twitched.

"_A-Alfred." _He cursed his warming face and looked away from _Alfred_ to look out the window. "Bloody hell, I know I am going to regret this…"

"Too late for regrets," Alfred chuckled. He finished the last bit of his coffee and looked at Arthur excitedly. "Now let's get started shall we?"

* * *

A/N: They're finally on a first name bases even though it's forced. ^^;

Next chapter will probably focus more on two certain characters that aren't Alfred and Arthur. Anyone want to guess who?

And I'm starting to think this'll be a bit longer than ten chapters...

Reviews are a nice motivation... /shot


	5. Chapter 4

Summary for this chapter: Antonio contemplates some confusing topics while Arthur learns something about Alfred he didn't expect.

* * *

Antonio leaned on the trunk of the tree as he swung his legs back and forth. It had been easier than he thought it would be to climb the tree- and it was a pretty tall one too; it was easily over ten times as tall as him- though maybe it had only looked difficult to climb. Or maybe it was because of completely different reasons; he really wasn't sure how people in his predicament were supposed to be like.

He had decided not to open his bookstore for the day mostly because he wasn't supposed to (he was still very confused on how the storyline went since a certain someone refused to tell him everything though that may have been partially his fault for making fun of the storyteller). Also it was a nice sunny day out and it was these kinds of days that reminded him of Spain and, more importantly, Italy. It was a nice day to reminisce.

Antonio looked at the book in his lap. It was the one he had (recovered) taken from Arthur some time ago. He traced the title- _Wake Up_- slowly with his index finger and then did the same with the name of the author though it was with a more hesitant and careful touch than before. His eyes lingered on the name longer than necessary before he forced his gaze away (the past was the past; he couldn't be sentimental now, not when he had a job to do). He redirected his hand to the edge of the book and opened it.

The title page, which was just a carbon copy of the cover, greeted him, Antonio flipped to the next page and then the next. He did this for another few pages before pausing his search for a moment. He chuckled bitterly. "Just as I though, I can't read it. Everything is in Enochian." Honestly, he had expected something like this. He knew he wouldn't be able to speed the story up but the rush of annoyance still filled him. Enochian was the language of the angels. It was created by and for angels so of course only they could fully understand such a complicated language.

_(Again he remembered a time when even the mention of that language sent disgusted shivers down his spine and the touch of it would burn his fingertips for days; but, once again, he reminded himself that was all done- well, not exactly; stupid timeline- and to focus on the matter at hand). _

Antonio went for the last page of the book and let out a hum of interest. The text was written in Latin instead of Enochian, much to his surprise. He still couldn't read it- though there was a few words here and there that sounded a bit similar to some words in Spanish- but from the looks of it, it appeared to be an incantation of sorts. Below the block of text was a diagram he was all too familiar with- a devil's trap.(1)

Antonio let out a huff of irritation. "_Esto es tan confundido_."(2) He shut the book and glared at the people walking below him. He was annoyed. How was he supposed to help Arthur if he didn't know how the damn story went next? Why didn't he pay more attention?! " Stupid promise. I should have never…"

His thoughts trailed off as he spotted a blond figure walking towards him. Well not exactly towards him; he was in a tree and it looked like the man was just following the path (and, after all, why would he be looking for Antonio of all people, not when the timelines didn't match up-) but the brunette still felt the air leave him.

"Francis…"

* * *

'_During that time you were so knowledgeable it was both helpful and disturbing. You don't realize the amount of headaches you had- ah, or should I say will- cause me because of that. I've always wondered how it was possible for someone to know so much without being told but, now that I think about it, I don't believe that was the case. That frog absolutely adores annoying me after all.'_

* * *

Was this how the story was supposed to go next? He was supposed to go and _talk_ to _Francis_ about things? Antonio but his lip and watched as Francis came closer and closer with each second. Why did have to be Francis of all people. Why couldn't it have been anyone else-

The book slipped from his lap and Antonio watched in silent horror as it made its descent and landed right in front of Francis. The blond jumped backwards in fright at the same time Antonio let out a groan and cursed Gilbert and Arthur in Spanish. It was now or never.

Antonio reluctantly jumped from his branch and landed on a lower one. He did this a few more times before growing impatient and just jumping from the branch he was on to the ground. He landed neatly, with his legs bent to absorb the impact, right in front of Francis.

Francis stared at the brunette with complete shock. "Antonio, _mon ami_… what are you doing here? _How_ did you-"

"Francis," Antonio straightened his legs so he could look at his- former yet not really- friend in the eyes. Big mistake.

_Blue eyes gazed at him with hurt as the life slowly drained from them and the red spread everywhere. So much red-_

No. Antonio bit the inside of his cheek. Do not think of that.

He turned his gaze to the book Francis had picked up instead. "Francis," he repeated, more urgent this time," we need to talk now _amigo_. It's important."

* * *

'_Then again,' A small, amused grin made its way onto his face and Antonio felt a trickle of fear rush through him, 'He wasn't the only one who helped you. Time is such a cruel and unusual mistress isn't she?'_

* * *

Working with Jones- _Alfred, _he was still not used to calling him that- surprisingly was not as horrible as Arthur had initially thought. The demon had kept to his word and had not overly annoyed him (this did not, however, mean the demon had stopped messing with him) though spending so much time with him later revealed more obnoxious qualities about the demon that Arthur had hoped for.

For one, Alfred grinned _a lot_. It was as if his default expression was permanently an annoying grin- and they were always directed at Arthur too, much to his annoyance- with that bloody twinkle in his eyes (Arthur once had a passing thought that if they were warmer they could pass as the color of the sky or ocean but he erased the thought as soon as he had it). Secondly, his favorite pastime was teasing him. The demon could not go ten minutes without saying something to rile Arthur up. And it usually worked.

Despite that though, Alfred's most annoying (and terrifying) trait was that behind the grin and teasing, there was _something else_. The way he casually talked about what was on his mind to him or the way he treated Arthur as more than just a business partner (because that's all that they were). He was always trying to get Arthur to forget the rivalry and dislike between their species as well, though it obviously failed every time Alfred brought it up. Not to mention the way Alfred would sometimes look at him when he thought Arthur wasn't looking, as if he was trying to find something-

Beside that, Alfred was good company. That did not, by any means, mean that Arthur had given up on smiting him. He just wouldn't make it as painful and humiliating as he had originally intended.

So far their search had come up with nothing, which wasn't surprising. To begin with, they didn't even know where to start. All they knew was that the city was being isolated- probably by angels, for god knows what reason- and they were the only two supernatural beings inside. As far as Arthur could tell, there no hunters around (they were never around when they were actually needed) which ruled out one source of information. And since Arthur downright refused returning to heaven to ask his brothers, they were at a dead-end.

"Let's take a break then," Alfred suggested.

Arthur stared at him. "We haven't even gotten an idea as to what this mess is and you're suggesting a _break_?"

"Hey, hear me out." Alfred replied easily. "We've been at this for days and so far we have nothing right? Well this obviously means we have to change out strategy. So let's walk around-"

"-we're already walking-"

"-or sit down, whatever, and relax our brains for a while. Even demons and angels need to take it easy sometime right?"

Arthur stared at him blankly for a few seconds. "…Are you serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" Alfred blinked at him. Arthur continued to stare at him as if he was an idiot (which he was) until something clicked in the demon's head. He frowned. "Seriously? Because I'm a demon? Come on, I thought we were passed this!"

"We are certainly _not_!" Arthur retorted. "Just because we have a deal _does not_ mean we are passed this!"

"Angels are about tolerance and forgiveness and all that shit aren't they?" Alfred deadpanned. "How about you do that then since, you know, _you're an angel_?"

Arthur twitched. "I'll do that when you keep your end of the deal and tell me why I have headaches and the sudden ability to sleep and dream. You should be able to do that since, you know, _you're a demon_."

"Hmph, touché." Alfred chuckled. "I'm not sure on the specifics but all of that you just said is a side effect of this goddam spell. That's what I'm guessing it is anyway. You're the prime example of what happens when someone enters a place they're not supposed to Artie. They get messed up."

"Don't call me that!" Arthur snapped. "And if this is the spell's doing, then why aren't _you_ affected?"

Alfred shrugged and ran a hand through his dark hair. "Who knows? Maybe because I used to be human and have a soul or something…"

"You used to be human?" Well _that_ was interesting. He would have never guessed such a high-ranking demon could have been mortal. Arthur wondered how he had looked like as a human and the image of the blond teen from his dreams popped up only to be quickly dismissed.

Alfred stopped walking. Arthur couldn't see the expression on his face since the demon was staring at the ground though the grimace on the other's face was clear as day. Arthur felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He hadn't meant to pry on something that was obviously so intimate and personal.

"…Yeah…"Alfred uttered, a hint of nostalgia creeping into his voice. "I don't remember everything, just the important stuff. I was born in America, Virginia I think, around the 19th century. My dad died in a factory accident when I was 4 or 5 and my mom…" Alfred hesitated for a second but continued. "Well, she was human. Committed so many sins after he died I feel sort of proud of her as a demon. She forced me to work in the same factory my dad died in a few weeks after the funeral…though I shouldn't complain since that was normal back then…"(3)

Arthur remembered his dream about the boy (_It couldn't be. There were many powers he held as an angel but dreaming about a demon's formal humanity was not one of them._). He recalled the blade the boy held. "How did you…" Arthur trailed off, not knowing how to ask the question without sounding rude (something was wrong with him if he trying to be polite to a demon). Alfred breathed out a laugh.

"…become a demon?" He guessed. He raised his head so he could look at the angel besides him. Arthur was shocked to see Alfred's eyes had somehow gotten darker but not in a menacing way. They had gotten warmer, the color of the sky. There was also a hint of a smile, not a grin, on his face and Arthur found himself thinking that Alfred was quite attractive this way. "I met someone. Someone who I sort of owe my life and devotion to even if he is kind of a jerk most of the time. He's _my_ jerk though so that's okay."

Alfred didn't give Arthur time to respond. He checked his watch for the time and cursed. "Shit it's four. Francis- you remember him right? Frenchy author? You should really read that book of his by the way- is going to have a fit if his little kid isn't home by now. I gotta leave but I'll see you tomorrow. Bye Artie!" He gave Arthur a short wave before disappearing from Arthur's sight.

Arthur stared at the place where Alfred had been for some time. He was confused but this time it wasn't because of Alfred. It was his own bloody thoughts giving him a fit this time. "I've been spending too much time with Antonio." He muttered before also disappearing but to his flat. He needed a drink.

* * *

A/N: I'd like to say happy new years to all you wonderful people and thank you so much for following me throughout this story. Every time someone reviews or favorites this story I get motivated to write again so thank you all for sticking with me so far. This fic is far from finished and, as confusing as it is right now, I hope you guys continue to enjoy it. Happy new years and have a wonderful year since all of you deserve it!

(1) I'm pretty sure the people who've seen _Supernatural _(which is a really good show and everyone should go watch it when they have the chance) know what I'm talking about when I mean a devil's trap. It's basically what the name implies. It's a design that is used to trap or ward off demons from a certain place. You can go to the Supernatural wiki or google image to see what it looks like.

(2) "_Esto es tan confundido"_ means "_This is so confusing" in Spanish_

(3) Alfred is referring to the time when child labor was still legal and so little kids as young as the age of 5 could work in factories. This was during the 19th century, as he said, when the Industrial Revolution had taken over the world. Back then it was normal for children to work more than 12 hours a day for only pennies a day to support their families. It was common for workers to get hurt on the job or die, like Alfred's father. Of course the family wouldn't be recompensed when it _did_ happen which was one of the reasons why children chose to work in the first place.


	6. Chapter 5

Summary for this chapter: It's been weeks since he'd last seen Alfred. Strangely, Arthur can't locate him anywhere.

* * *

Four months. That's how long it had been since he'd last seen Alfred.

Arthur furiously stacked the books into their proper places all the while muttering colorful insults directed at the target of his frustrations. He was tricked once again and by the same demon at that. There were no words for the amount of shame he felt at the moment. Who did that demon think he was, suddenly disappearing like that? The nerve of him! Weren't they supposed to be working on a case that he _forced_ him into in the first place? Did Alfred finally deem the whole thing a lost cause and abandon the city before things worsened? _Did that bloody demon think he could just leave Arthur and- _

"Well it wasn't as if I was his only reason for staying in the city." Arthur grumbled bitterly. "He did mention he was looking for someone. Perhaps he found them and left."

He didn't know why the idea irritated him.

Arthur picked up another book and practically slammed it onto the shelf. He should have killed Alfred when he had the chance. If he had then he wouldn't be in whatever mess the demon had gotten him in. Ironically, things were much simpler when he was only hiding from the other angels in heaven.

He grabbed another book carelessly and was once again about to shove it into the shelf when it was swiped away from him. Arthur stared at his empty hand and then at the culprit in confusion. Antonio simply glared at him.

"_Dios mio_, _Arthur, calmate!" _Antonio huffed. He carefully placed the book on the shelf and then snatched a couple more from the open box near the blond and repeated the process. "You're going to ruin the covers. These are paperback, they rip easier! Would you want to pay for ruined books _cejas?_"

"Sorry…" Arthur muttered, helping the brunette with the remaining boxes. He was careful not to damage the covers. Antonio, while usually cheerful, was utterly terrifying when he was angry. He had only seen the brunette furious once, when a group of men had been harassing a young boy, and it was something Arthur did not wish to see again. Antonio had the eyes of a demon when he was angry and it was disturbing how fitting they were on him. They fit him better than a certain blue-eyes demon, anyway.

The two worked in silence until Antonio decided to break it, like he always did. This time, however, instead of the out of place questions that annoyed Arthur to no end that he would usually ask, Antonio sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He looked tired. Of what exactly, Arthur wasn't sure. "It's supposed to be bad for your skin if you worry so much."

Arthur paused in organizing the books. "What are you going on about?"

"Every time you come to work, you look you're going to blow a blood vessel." Antonio tapped the side of his head for emphasis. "And that makes you and your eyebrows scarier. You're starting to scare aware the customers with your glare, too."

Arthur fisted his hand but refused the urge to deck the brunette in the face. There were children in the store that did not need to see that. "You're exaggerating."

"You yelled at a girl yesterday _amigo_ because she didn't know where the classics were. That's not normal for you. Usually you would just complain about people quietly instead of making them cry." Antonio tsked as if he was lecturing the blond-which, to Arthur's annoyance, he probably thought he was. "It took me a long time to cheer her up."

Arthur opened his mouth to retort but Antonio beat him to it. There was a hint of a smirk on his face as he spoke. "You know, if you were an angel then you would be a really bad one. Good thing you're not one, _no_?"

_That _made him reconsider things. He was an angel, a creation his father had made to protect humans, not to make them cry. Even if he had run away from heaven, he still had a duty to do and he had completely forgotten about it ever since Alfred came up to him with the ridiculous case. Guilt flooded him the more he thought about it. What kind of angel was he, putting himself and his problems first when they were innocent humans that needed his protection? Was that the reason his grace has been acting up lately? Had it sensed his selfishness and punished him accordingly?

He didn't deserve to be an angel.

There was a hand on his shoulder, slightly shaking him out of his thoughts. Antonio looked at him with worry. "Are you all right Arthur? You spaced out for a while…"

"Fine." He mumbled. Antonio wasn't convinced.

"Do you want to take a break-"

"I said I'm fine." Arthur repeated again, rather harshly. He turned back to the books he had not stacked and continued his previous action. He didn't have to look at the brunette to know that he was frowning. He couldn't see the pensive expressive on his face though.

"Hey, Arthur…"

"What?"

The brunette hesitated for a few seconds before continuing. "You know we're friends, _sí_?" So if you ever need help in something, I'll try to help."

Arthur chuckled, a sardonic smile on his face. "I'm not so sure you could help me with this particular problem Antonio."

Antonio, instead of a grimace Arthur thought he would make, simply looked amused at his words and winked. "You would be surprised _Arturo. _There is a lot you don't know about me yet."

* * *

The weeks passed by smoothly, with the only problem being the constant headache that Arthur had learned to ignore, and the blond woke up to a bright and sunny afternoon feeling absolutely exhausted despite the hours of sleep he had just gotten.

His head felt worse than usual to the point where he was dizzy, much to his confusion. He could feel the blood pounding in his ears and a high pitch ringing breaking his eardrums. Arthur tried to heal himself but the feeling only intensified. He cried out.

Arthur faintly heard footsteps and then his door slamming open as his mind clouded over. He saw a flash of blue and green before he passed out.

* * *

"It is getting worse faster than I thought it would." Francis looked dismayed as he looked at the unconscious blond. "_Mon dieu,_ this changes everything."

Antonio looked up from where he was examining Arthur to look at Francis. "What are you going to do?"

"I am sure you already know." Francis smiled bitterly at him. "_Rosbif _has already told youeverything, after all."

"The future can change. "Antonio sighed. "And I don't know _everything_, just what he told me and he didn't even know that much."

"Really." Francis said incredulously. He walked over to where Arthur was and gently placed two fingers on the blonde's forehead. Almost instantly, Arthur relaxed. "I find it hard to believe that Arthur, of all people, did not know all the details of his own fate."

"Then why didn't he tell me everything?" Antonio blinked in confusion.

Francis chuckled. "He always did enjoy playing games."

* * *

_Arthur waited patiently for the children to come out of the factory. The sun had set long ago and it had even begun to snow though he didn't feel any of it. Then again, he didn't feel much these days. Only a burning curiosity was left which led him to where he was. _

_Humans were boring. It was always the same things with them- the constant worries, the stupidity, the desire for something more- and the constant repetition grew tedious after the first few centuries. Arthur had always wondered why his "father" was so enamored with them, so much that he had stopped showing his affections to the angels, but as the children tiredly filed out of the building and headed home, he could begin to see why. _

_Never had a human sparked his interest as much as Alfred Jones did. There was no exact reason why that was, at least one that Arthur could think of anyway. Perhaps living for centuries on end had done something to him. Or maybe it was the angelic grace that he could feel every now and again messing with him. He wasn't quite sure what to blame for the sudden interest in a human, and a thirteen year old at that. _

"_Arthur!" The blond saw the young boy he had just been thinking about running towards him. Despite working a 15-hour shift, the boy did not have the exhausted expression the others wore. His grin practically radiated cheerfulness, as did his eyes. _

_To think Arthur was the reason for that have him a feeling he had ever only felt for his father. Fondness. _

_The corner of his lips lifted up slightly. Alfred was always surprising him, it seemed. _

"_Hello Alfred." Arthur said once the boy was within hearing range. He began walking towards the town, Alfred in tow. "How was work?"_

"_Same as always." Alfred shrugged. "Oh, but after lunch a kid broke his hand trying to unjam one of the machines. Mr. Reever told him he can't come back to work anymore." _

_Arthur did his best to hide his smile behind a cough. "Is that so?"_

"_Mh-hmm." Alfred hummed. "Hey, Arthur…that's not going to happen to me, right?"_

"_Of course not." Arthur responded. "And even if it did, that's what I'm here for aren't I? You have nothing to worry about, Alfred."_

_Alfred beamed. "You're the best Arthur! I'm so glad we're friends!" _

_Was that what they were? Was such a thing even possible? This time Arthur did not hide his amused smile. He was quite glad to have such an interesting contractor, even if it was for only a short time. _

"_So am I."_

* * *

When Arthur finally woke up, he saw Antonio sitting besides him with a cup of what smelled like tea in his hands. The brunette smiled down at him and offered him the cup. Arthur sat up and took it without a word, all the while staring at the brunette cautiously.

"It'll help with the headache." Antonio added. Arthur nodded and took a sip, silently relishing in the familiar taste. Much to his surprise, the pain did lessen. He looked at Antonio suspiciously.

"Antonio, what are you doing in my flat?"

"Your front door was open so I let myself in."

"That's not what I meant-"

"I know." Antonio interrupted him rather quickly. It was only now that Arthur noticed that there were no traces of a smile on his features. The brunette was dead serious. "I know you want to know why I'm here and how I know about your headaches and other things but it's not the right time for explanations. I promise to explain things when I can, okay?"

Arthur shook his head. "What is going on? How do you-"

"You're still a bit woozy, _sí_?" Antonio once again interrupted him. "Perhaps you should go take a walk and clear your head." Finally, he gave him a small smile. "_Quién sabe?_ Maybe you'll find some of the answers during that."

Arthur sighed. He guessed it couldn't hurt.

* * *

He had not been out for more than twenty minutes when he bumped into Francis.

"Ah! Monsieur Arthur, yes? It seems we meet again." Francis extended his hand out in greeting and Arthur shook it politely. "It is a nice night for a walk, don't you agree?"

Arthur nodded in agreement. Francis smiled at him.

"What do you say I treat you to that cup of tea I owe you?"

Well, it wasn't like he had anything better to do. And maybe another cup of tea was just what he needed to relax. "Sounds lovely."

Francis grinned. "Then _allons nous_."

* * *

Francis led him to the small café Arthur liked to frequent on occasions and ordered two cups of tea. Once the two were seated, and their tea served, Francis asked him the inevitable question. "Have your read my book yet by any chance?"

Arthur shook his head and took a sip of his tea. "It's been quite a challenge to get a copy, I'm afraid."

Francis breathed out a laugh, looking more rather amused than disappointed. "I see. I don't normally do this, but would you like to tell you what it is about, to quench your curiosity for a bit? Perhaps it would even help you understand the meaning better."

"I don't see why not."

"It is about a boy and an angel." Francis began. "More specifically, an angel who fell from heaven and the boy who made a deal with him."

* * *

"_How would you like to make a deal with me lad?"_

* * *

Arthur winced at the sudden pain in his head. Francis either didn't notice or choose to ignore it. He continued on.

"It is a common story, I know, but it quite different I assure you. The fallen angel grows attached to the boy he contracted with and vice versa. As he watched the boy grow, he begins to regret ever making the deal. He does not want to take the boy's soul after the ten year deadline, but a deal is a deal is it not?"

* * *

_Since when, he wondered, had he grown so attached to that smile?_

* * *

"So he gave the boy a choice." Francis scowled a bit. "Live in hell as the others like him do or become a demon. Either choice is not pleasant, mind you, but it _is_ a way out of an eternity of misery."

* * *

_He needed that smile with him even if it would grow as twisted as his own. _

* * *

"The boy, now a young man, chose the latter option obviously but not because he didn't want to go to hell. No, over the years he had grown to care for the fallen angel and also did not wish to leave him. Being offered to stay by his side was a wish come true. Of course, things are never that simple. The fallen angel had made many powerful enemies over the years, both angels and demons alike, and the two beings finally decided to come up with a plan to rid themselves of him once and for all."

* * *

_Being summoned right into a devil's trap wasn't something he was used to but, even so, he knew the dangers that were associated with it. It was quite a surprise however, to see his former siblings and current ones- if he could even call those bloody demons that- on the other side of it._

* * *

"It is a very complicated ritual, even I do not fully understand it, that sends the person into another time as a completely different person. The best way I can hope of explaining it is that it is literally a fresh start." Francis's gaze connected with his, sending another jolt of pain through him. "The fallen angel was once again an angel. And he did not remember anything of his past. Only what he wanted to remember."

* * *

_Arthur had no memory of how he had gotten there. _

_He let out a puff of breath, watching how the dust particles danced away from him. The last thing he remembered was fighting a pack of demons that had ambushed him in the forest. They had gotten him onto the ground, growling about how they would rip his wings and halo right after they've had their fun with him, before they clawed at his torso. He had screamed and stabbed the demon on top of him, but he was outnumbered. He had lost consciousness once they bashed his head into the ground for the tenth time._

* * *

_Heaven was in chaos. Ever since the news that their father had disappeared, not even leaving a bloody note or a sign that would allude to a recent return, the place Arthur had called home for centuries had become bitter. His brothers and sisters could not agree on what to do now without their father's guidance. Half of them believed they should wait until He came back while others thought it was for the best to forget about Him and rule heavens for themselves. Arguments turned into threats and threats turned into actions. It wasn't exactly a civil war yet but Arthur wouldn't be surprised if the trigger for it would be pulled very soon, or already. _

* * *

"And the only way for him to return is for him to realize all this and _wake up_."

Arthur gasped and abruptly stood up, causing a few people to look their way. He stared at Francis, horrified. Francis, in return, blinked innocently at him in confusion.

"Monsieur Kirkland? Is there something wrong?"

"I-I just remembered I'm late for work." Arthur stammered. He was pale and his hands were trembling. The pain in his head had increased with every word Francis had spoken, making him almost too dizzy to stand but he had to get out of there. He needed to leave _now_. "I'm sorry but I have to go." Without saying a proper goodbye, he rushed out of the café and into the cold night. The moment the café was no longer in sight, he disappeared into his apartment.

"Arthur?" Antonio looked at him with a small frown. He didn't even look surprised that Arthur suddenly appeared. It was as if he was used to it. "Is everything okay? You look awful-"

"You owe me an explanation." Arthur seethed. "Now tell me what the hell is going on."

* * *

Francis watched as Arthur left the café with a calculating look on his face. His tea already turned cold so there was no point in drinking it anymore but he still took a sip of it anyway. He sighed and stared out the window.

"You told him too much Francis-san." A voice coming from the table behind him murmured.

"It was necessary Monsieur Honda. Time is running out. If we can not make him return by his own will…"

"Still." Kiku sighed. "I'm worried. Alfred-san will not be happy about the sudden change of plans."

Francis scoffed. "It is his fault for being caught and sent back. He will just have to deal with it."

"Francis-san…are you sure you did the right thing?"

At this the blond smile sardonically, his eyes staring at the direction Arthur ran off to. "Who knows? Even angels make mistakes, mon cher."

* * *

A/N: Was anyone expecting this turn out? Come on, I'm curious.

((And I'm really sorry for not updating in months. School's been really stressful lately but it's recently calmed down since the school year is ending soon. I'm going to try to write more now that I have a bit of free time.))


	7. Chapter 6

Summary for this chapter: Antonio finally explains everything.

* * *

"Stop glaring at me." Antonio sighed. "It's unnerving."

The two sat in the living room, far apart from the other as they possibly could. Antonio sat on the loveseat, fidgeting with his clothes every now and then, while Arthur sat in a plush chair drinking a cup of tea (its ability to soothe his headaches were outstanding but the mystery as to how it was able to do it was still left unexplained, just like everything else, much to the blonde's annoyance).

Arthur finished his cup before responding. "I'll stop once you answer my questions."

Antonio let out an aggravated sigh. He knew he was going to have to explain everything eventually, but now that the time had come-and at a much faster rate than he was mentally prepared for- he was dreading having to say any of it. It wasn't because he was afraid Arthur wouldn't believe him- that was the last thing on his mind. He would mostly ask him about himself and his relations to what was happening, which meant there might be a chance he would have to explain about his past as well. And he really didn't like to remember any of it, especially his time in Italy.

But a deal was a deal, a soul-binding one at that, and it was time for him to finally fulfill his end of it even if he didn't want to.

Reluctantly, he forced himself to talk. "You saw Francis today, right? What did he tell you?" He began.

Arthur's eyes widened for a second before returning to glaring at him. Antonio half wondered if his face would stay that way. "How do you know Francis?"

"We were…" He hesitated for a moment, "friends." He finally said. It wasn't the word he was looking for, but it was close enough. Apparently Arthur did not think the same, since he glared even harder at him.

"And how did you know we met today?"

"I'll explain later." Antonio promised. Arthur scoffed but said nothing else. The brunette took this as a sign to continue. "What did he tell you?" He repeated.

"Nothing much." Arthur said. "I bumped into him on my walk and he invited me to tea. He was summarizing the novel he wrote, that's all."

"But what did he _say_?"

Arthur hesitantly repeated what Francis had said. Antonio hummed in contemplation.

"So he was implicit." Damn, he should have known Francis would only say enough to mess with Arthur's head. Francis hated being the bearer of bad news, especially when it concerned people he cared for. "Did you experience any memories? Anything that felt familiar while Francis was talking?" Arthur's silence was all he needed. "You did. That's good, this won't be too bad then." He hesitated. He might as well get it over with. "I should start with myself then."

It took him a few minutes to continue. "I'm Antonio Fernandez Carreido, 26 years old, born and raised in Spain, but you already knew that. You and me were…friends, kind of." He really needed to find better words to describe his relationships. "It was about a century ago but we had a bit of a fall out and we've stayed distant ever since."

"You're not human." Arthur gathered. Antonio noticed his fingers twitch and swallowed the urge to tell the blond that a demon blade wouldn't work on him. He'd let Arthur figure that out on his own.

"I am. You're an angel, you can see my soul can't you?" Arthur stared at him for some time before muttering a confirmation. Antonio smiled a bit. "Right now I'm human but I wasn't always one…anyways-!" Antonio changed the subject. He was beginning to develop a headache from remembering his past. Arthur didn't need to know the specifics about him anyway. "Where do you want to start?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow at the sudden dismissal but, if he was bothered by it, then he didn't show it. Antonio was grateful Arthur was more concerned with his own affairs than Antonio's. "From what I've heard so far, it looks like Francis's novel is more than just a work a fiction. He was trying to tell me something."

Antonio nodded. "_Sí_, but he didn't do a good job at it."

"That book has something to do with me." Antonio nodded. "Then why did you take it?"

"You weren't supposed to find it so soon." He explained. "That book is your life story and if you were to read it before you remembered-"

"Remembered _what_?"

"Who you are." Antonio said. "Specifically, _what_ you are."

Arthur let out a frustrated sigh. "Will you stop being so vague and just explain things? If I'm not an angel then what am I?"

"I never said you weren't an angel-"

"_Antonio_."

"-well, you _were_ an angel." Antonio ignored the menacing look Arthur was giving him and continued his explanation. "A very loyal one, at that."

* * *

"_I should have known you were here." Francis appeared a few feet from where Arthur was. Arthur didn't acknowledge the other's presence. He simply continued to look out the window. They were in a man's- he wasn't quite sure who's; all human's ended up looking the same after a few centuries- personal heaven, a spacious Parisian manor built in the 18__th__ century with an extraordinary view of the city below. It wasn't what Arthur usually would have sought out, he would have much preferred the one with the English countryside at sunrise, but he hadn't wanted to be found. Unfortunately, or fortunately, it was his vice-captain who did. "You often said you hated France with a passion. A perfect hiding place, if I was not ordered to look for you." _

"_If I'd known you would find me, I would have gone somewhere else." He watched the Parisians through the giant window the room had. They strolled through the city appearing ready and excited to enjoy Paris and all she had to offer. It always surprised him how tangible personal heavens seemed. And to think they could only be created from a human's desires. Humans were truly an intricate piece of work. _

"_You've stopped listening to me, haven't you?" Francis sighed. Arthur was the type to stop listening to someone when he didn't want to listen to the other's opinion. "Stubborn as always it seems." He gently tapped Arthur's cheek a few times until Arthur snapped out of his thoughts and slapped his hand away, all the while glaring at the older angel. The corners of Francis's mouth lifted but it wasn't really a smile. More like a tight grimace. "Now that I have your attention, let's get down to business oui? We are late for the meeting-"_

_Arthur scoffed. "Do you honestly believe this is a meeting? Things have been chaotic ever since Father disappeared and with no proper leadership to stop some of those idiotic archangels-!" He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "This isn't a meeting, Francis. It is the beginning of a bloody civil war." _

_Francis looked away. "I know that but we cannot do anything. We must do what we were made to do- fight." _

"_I don't think I'll be able to choose a side." Arthur confessed. He had returned to looking out the window but Francis could see the terrified look his eyes held. "You know how I feel about archangels. Their bastards, every single one of them. I don't agree with how they think heaven should be." He let out a shaky sigh. "I can't choose, Francis. I can't."_

_Francis looked at him sympathetically. "If you do not, it will be considered treason. They will make an example of you, especially so since you are a high rank." _

"_I know." _

_Arthur's eyes never left the window._

* * *

Antonio frowned. "Apparently, not choosing a side is considered as an act of betrayal for angels. If you don't fight, you don't care for your family. It's almost as bad as committing a sin, and the punishment is pretty much the same." He hesitated but continued at Arthur's look of impatience. "Disownment."

* * *

_The archangels were being especially cruel today. They didn't even hesitate to grab him and force him on his knees. Their grip on his shoulders dug deep into his skin, and their rough handling of his wings made him wince. He tried to look up at his assaulters but his head was forced down to look at the floor of the courtroom. _

"_Final chance, brother." One of them said. "Choose a side and fight. Fight for your family, for your Father. He would want you to do so." _

"_As if he would." Arthur snapped. "Our Father would want us to get along, to stop this fighting and do what we were made to do- protect humans. Not arguing over who gets to be the leader like a bunch of children! I refuse to be a part of any of this!" _

_There were mutters of disappointment all around him. The hands on his wings and shoulders tightened their grip. "We have no choice then. You know the rules for treason, brother. You are forever band from ever passing through the gates of heaven ever again." _

_The angels holding him down slashed his wings in one fluid motion. Blood spilled everywhere, staining his clothes and hair dark red._

_Arthur screamed. _

_He screamed his throat raw and didn't stop. Not at Francis's cry, not at the sudden heaviness that consumed his body, not at the sensation of falling from heaven as he headed towards the human world at a staggering speed. _

_He only stopped when he crashed into the ground and was knocked unconscious._

* * *

_When he did finally wake up, the first thing he did was try to wash the blood away. It never left his hair._

* * *

"As you know, fallen angels are different from demons." Antonio continued. "They are still technically angels but at the same time they aren't. Their souls turn darker, almost like a demon's, and their wings turn black. They don't really belong to any species so they live a life of solitude most of the time. You, however, did not do that."

* * *

_Arthur watched from afar as a group of men struggled to hold down the possessed women and exorcise the demon inside her. She snarled and clawed at them, growling things that made the men occasionally let her go out of shock. Arthur smirked. Honestly, it was so easy to mess with a human's mind. All it took was mentioning a loved one or a mistake committed. With such a fragile mentality, they would never be able to defeat any demon, let alone an angel. _

_Which is why it would be so easy to get their cooperation. _

_In a second Arthur was in front of the woman, his demon blade lodged deep into her chest. The woman glared at him for a moment, muttering something in a strange language, before the demon was forced out of the woman's body and back to the depths of hell. Arthur pulled the blade out and let the body fall the ground. _

_Almost instantly there was a stake pressed against his neck. "What are you?" One of the men said. "What did you do to her?!" _

"_She's dead!" One of the men who had gone to check on the fallen woman said. _

_Arthur tried his hardest not to roll his eyes. "She was already dead to begin with. For a few months, if I were to guess. Perhaps if you lot were to have exorcised the demon in her sooner, she's had been alive right now." _

"_What are you?" The man repeated. "A demon?"_

"_The demon called him a 'tainted angel'." Another man-a priest, judging by his clothes, said. "You are a fallen one."_

_Arthur nodded. _

"_Why did you help us?"_

"_It's because we have something in common." Arthur responded. "Angels, demons, I hate them all. I want all of them gone so I'll help in anyway I can to do so. Even if that means helping incompetent humans like you who have no idea what they're doing."_

_The priest looked at him. "Why are you so willing to destroy your own kind?" _

"_Neither one is my kind." Arthur raised his voice, making the men take a step back. He smirked. Humans were so easy to intimidate. "And even if they were, I have my private reasons for doing so. As I was saying, I promise to aid you in anything you need for this but it will come at a price. Agreed?"_

* * *

"You became an informant for hunters," Antonio said," and developed a large contact and source list. You wanted to annoy as many angels and demons as you could, which you did. You ended up being considered dangerous to both species, so you decided you lay low for a while. That's when you met Alfred." Antonio frowned. "I think."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "You think?"

"You don't like talking about that time." Antonio shrugged. "Something about it showing weakness. All I know is that you met Alfred when he was a human boy, made a deal with him, and turned him into a demon after his contract was done. He's been with you ever since."

"So Alfred isn't the one doing all this to the city."

"He's actually trying to stop it." Antonio replied. "The ones who did it were the angels and demons who thought you were too dangerous to keep alive. Gilbert- do you remember him?- was one of them."

Arthur scowled. "How could he be in the city if no supernatural beings are allowed in?"

Antonio hesitated. "He's like me. He was originally human but then changed into a demon. Right now, though, he's human again."

"You're making this up."

"I'm not."

"The only way I think of that allows a demon to turn human is to take its soul and purify it. Only an angel can do that." Arthur said. "Which angel in their right mind would do that to, not one, but two demons?"

Antonio cheerfully pointed to him. Arthur blanched. "It's a long story and, to be honest, I don't want to get into it. It's not important right now, anyway. What _is_ important is that, now that you know, you have to go back as soon as possible. You've already noticed the side affect of the spell, _sí_? Well, it will only get worse the more time you're here."

"If that's the case, then why was I sent here in the first place?"

"Francis said the angels underestimated you." Antonio explained. "The spell requires an angel's and demon's blood, along with the soul of the person they are sending away. The soul is molded, so to speak, into something that it had always wanted to be, so it is a new beginning for the person. They thought you would choose to be human for some reason…if they had any idea you'd wanted to revert back into an angel…"

"It's like a demon being given grace." Arthur concluded. "A contradiction that should not be allowed to happen. That's why this time period is suffering isn't it? It's trying to isolate and fix the problem before it gets destroyed."

Antonio nodded.

"So if the problem gets destroyed, everything reverts to normal."

"Yes, but that's-eh?" Antonio panicked when he saw the empty chair in front of him. "Arthur?"

* * *

The angel grunted when he was slammed into the wall. A hand gripped his neck tightly, choking him, as an angel blade pressed against his cheek. The angel glared at his assaulter, noticing for the first time the electric blue eyes. He sneered. "Kirkland's pet. Out getting revenge for that dead son of bitch?"

Alfred snarled and pressed the blade in deeper, enjoying the way the angel screamed at the pain. "Listen here, asshole. One more fucking word out of you and this blade will be lodged in your eye got it?" The angel glared but stayed silent. "Good. Now, you're gonna help me with a little ritual or I swear to that fucking god you love so much that you'll suffer so much you'll be begging to go to hell after I'm done with you. _Is that clear_?"

* * *

A/N: The next chapter isn't really part of the story but it's important. It'll be Alfred's recollections of his past with Arthur.  
And regarding Antonio's past... since it's a bit complicated and long, I was thinking about writing an individual fic for it (the main characters would actually be Lovino and Feliciano, though). Thoughts?


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